How It Ends - Epilogue - Boogieman
by writeturnlove
Summary: This is a quick epilogue to the Netflix movie "How It Ends." There will be a follow up fanfic that will continue the story. The story takes place in the woods just before the second "event" occurs.


**How It Ends – Epilogue "The Boogieman"**

By V.C. Turner

Jeremiah heard Will's footsteps behind him. He knew one of them wouldn't be walking out of the woods. He accepted that fact as watched the ash fall from the sky like burnt snowflakes. He felt the revolver in his waistband as it brushed against his arm. He planned on pulling it out at the right moment; he just needed to be patient.

"We're leaving," Will said, "Unless you want to stay, you should come with us. It's not safe here."

Jeremiah didn't bother to give the offer consideration, although he did turn to face his adversary.

"Where are you going?" asked Jeremiah, pushing down the panic he felt. He didn't fear being alone. He feared losing _her_. He feared losing Samantha.

He couldn't allow that to happen.

"North," Will stated flatly.

Jeremiah turned away from him, leading Will deeper into the woods and closer to a fate he'd planned several days earlier – just in case.

The ground shook beneath their feet. There wasn't much time now.

"She wants to stay, Will," Jeremiah offered, his last-ditched effort to keep her close to him.

As they came to a clear path cutting through the woods, Will's voice cut through Jeremiah's thoughts.

"I don't see any kids out here," Will said, referring to the lie he knew Jeremiah told him just to get them both away from the house. Away from Samantha. Both of them knew one thing: There would be no witnesses. The only difference was that only one of them was going to tell Samantha what happened.

The one that would tell her the truth.

Or the one would tell her the lie.

They continued to walk as the foliage crunched beneath their feet. An eerie howl sounded in the forest, but both of them ignored it. Jeremiah turned toward Will.

"I'm not the boogie man, Will," he said, "Remember, I saved her life. We have a bond. That means I get a voice. We thought you were dead."

Will's scowl only infuriated him more, but his focus didn't waver.

"Well, I'm not, am I? I'm here," Will said.

Jeremiah's blood ran cold. He had to turn from him. Every word Will said only angered him more. Every word only reaffirmed that one of them had to die. It was in the plan.

With each step he took, the memory of Sam's face haunted him. He thought of how her brown skin glowed in the candlelight as she slept. He longed to crawl into bed with her; to keep her safe and warm, but he needed to take his time. She wouldn't be ready. She had to believe Will was dead. He had to convince her.

"You know she's pregnant, right?" Will asked.

Jeremiah felt for the revolver at his side. This was the moment he'd been waiting for. He pulled the gun from his waistband, instinctively cocking it and allowing the sound to fill the space between them.

"You don't have to do this." Will said, his voice warm and calm. He actually sounded like he gave a damn.

 _Such a shame to kill him_ , Jeremiah thought, _Oh well_.

He spun around and raised his weapon.

"I do," he said.

Jeremiah waited for the bullet to strike him. Although he knew it was coming, the impact shocked him a bit as his body collapsed onto the forest floor. He closed his eyes, making sure they remained fixed behind their lids and that his breathing stopped.

He waited, knowing that Will wouldn't have time to check for a pulse. He laid upon the ground like a stone, unflinching while Will dropped his semi-automatic and took the revolver as he ran from the darkening smoke rolling towards them.

As soon as Will's footfalls fell silent in the distance, Jeremiah sat up and looked around. He unzipped his vest and examined the hole in the bulletproof vest he wore beneath his shirt. He pulled out the bag of fake blood and threw it on the ground. He didn't have much time now. He only had a few minutes before the eruption would overwhelm him.

"Now I know who I'm dealing with," Jeremiah said to himself as he rose to his feet.

He ran to the clump of trees to the West, behind which was a black Honda motorcycle he'd placed there the night before. He secured his helmet and started the engine as quickly as he could. He bolted away from the eruption, his speed quickly topping 98 miles per hour as he took a back road away from the mountain of smoke and fire.

As he rode to safety, Jeremiah knew that Will and Samantha would survive. He made sure of it. He knew _he_ would survive, as well. He'd planned this all along. He'd find them. He'd take what was his. He would have the family denied him all of these years.

Perhaps he needed to be the Boogieman after all.

This wasn't the end.

This was only the beginning.


End file.
